Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Comedy and Tragedy
Last night I attended three hours of student sketch comedy, which was uncomfortable in many respects. To begin with, there was the physical aspect -- my rear is simply not designed to withstand such an extended interaction with a hard plastic chair, and my work clothes, in addition to making me look like a transgendered nun, tend to ride up into places I didn't even know I had after twelve or so hours of extended wear. But the emotional aspect was really far more compelling. To listen to off-key warbling of political satire on a Weekly Reader level is never easy; to do it with the warbler's elderly mother sitting there beaming at the stage a few seats away is damned near impossible. And to realize that you may be the only person in the room who doesn't find simulated anal and oral rape hilarious is not exactly a picnic, either.
Speaking of which, here is a list of topics that are apparently laugh riots, as gathered during last night's program: slavery, child molestation, homosexuality, aging, parking tickets, waitressing, yuppies, asians, the cubs, stalkers, one night stands, and leukemia. I was hoping for a gag about airline peanuts, but it was never forthcoming.
But despite the extent to which I am apparently completely out of touch with America, I actually really enjoyed a large portion of the evening. A couple of my friends were in it, which gave me that high school musical type rooting interest, and there were a lot of sketches that really stayed true to their characters and had some nice, truthful moments. If only I could have watched it from my couch in my pajamas!
Last night I attended three hours of student sketch comedy, which was uncomfortable in many respects. To begin with, there was the physical aspect -- my rear is simply not designed to withstand such an extended interaction with a hard plastic chair, and my work clothes, in addition to making me look like a transgendered nun, tend to ride up into places I didn't even know I had after twelve or so hours of extended wear. But the emotional aspect was really far more compelling. To listen to off-key warbling of political satire on a Weekly Reader level is never easy; to do it with the warbler's elderly mother sitting there beaming at the stage a few seats away is damned near impossible. And to realize that you may be the only person in the room who doesn't find simulated anal and oral rape hilarious is not exactly a picnic, either.
Speaking of which, here is a list of topics that are apparently laugh riots, as gathered during last night's program: slavery, child molestation, homosexuality, aging, parking tickets, waitressing, yuppies, asians, the cubs, stalkers, one night stands, and leukemia. I was hoping for a gag about airline peanuts, but it was never forthcoming.
But despite the extent to which I am apparently completely out of touch with America, I actually really enjoyed a large portion of the evening. A couple of my friends were in it, which gave me that high school musical type rooting interest, and there were a lot of sketches that really stayed true to their characters and had some nice, truthful moments. If only I could have watched it from my couch in my pajamas!
